We played like turds this series,luckily we had Vokoun in a goal last 2 games,and Isles had bad Nabokov. If Isles had someone above average in goal,we would be maybe maybe winners in 7 games,because of the goalscoring talent.

OTHERWISE WE WERE BADLY OUTPLAYED,outhustled in this series and Ottawa might be to hard to beat if we dont improve!

Henry Hank wrote:I'm happy for Orpik. He gets crapped on a lot around here and I've been guilty of it too but he's had a pretty special amount of longevity here. 13 years in the organization, more games played as a D than anyone in their history. This'll be something to look back on.

On the Iginla goal, it looked to me like Strait was trying to sweep the puck away but Nabokov's pad came across and clipped the shaft of his stick ever so slightly, causing him to shoot the puck into his own net.

I've read some posts advocating a switch back to Fleury because of Vokoun's age, but in reality, 36 is not that old considering the short season, plus the fact that he was rested for much of this regular season. He's fairly fresh and could even play better with more frequent work. Fleury will get his chance to come in and spark the team again, but unless Vokoun implodes or has two poor efforts in a row, this should be his team the rest of the way.

As for the next round, Ottawa matches up very poorly against the Pens. They didn't play very well in this series, however the Penguin team that showed up in games 1 and 5 was scary good, and if that version shows up 4 times out of 7, they can beat anybody.

I'm actually not surprised how this series went. Look at any game regular season series with the Isles. There's a couple blowouts where we destroy them, a couple games where it takes OT or SO to beat them and then a couple where we do nothing right and they make us look like crap. No other team except Toronto does that to us.

Henry Hank wrote:Finally, although I think this series exposed a lot of bad things about this team that will hold them back from winning the Cup, it does feel good for the Pens in a historical sense to finally beat the Islanders in the playoffs. And it just feels good that they actually closed a series out after the last few years. I just wish they showed anything in this series that would give me hope for more.

Um, did you miss games 1 and 5?

The Isles were a bad matchup for the Pens. Their speed and 'youthful exuberance' allowed them to pressure on the forecheck but not lose position on the back line. Their forwards were fast enough to be in 2 places at once, and the Pens never really adjusted...but the only other teams that can match that speed (maybe) are MON and TOR. The Habs are gone, and the Leafs won't get past the Bruins.

Having said all of that, this team hasn't really clicked together yet. This was a series featuring 1 team that was clicking on all cylinders (and has been for about a month and a half) vs. a team with a lot of great parts, but haven't played together at all. Seriously, our lineup last night was only the second game with everyone healthy PLUS the new guys in the lineup. Their still finding themselves as a complete unit...but the couple flashes they've shown when they do are downright scary.

I saw them. I know that the Pens can be a dominant team if they're focused and working for it. I also saw the other four games, where the Islanders completely dictated the games, the Pens took stupid, selfish penalties, and Fleury handed them several goals. One of those things they can easily control and I hope they're smart enough to stick with Vokoun for bailing them out. Even in game five, the Isles came out the better team and that's the kind of things that disturbs me. That was a game where the Pens are needing to make a statement, on their home ice, and they're letting an inferior, inexperienced team take over? That's why I wouldn't count on the Pens magically bringing a better effort next round. They've already established that they can get by with less.

I don't want to be negative, but the first round was everything I didn't want to see, aside from the fact that the Pens managed to win this time.

I know everyone wants to blame MAF for those soft goals. But the truth of the matter is that our defense was horrendous in their own zone. Letang was downright terrible. Multiple turnovers throughout the series resulted in chances and some goals for the Isles. I give the Isles alot of credit for their forecheck and their pressure on the Pens D.

The speed of the Islanders was def. a factor. I also think a factor in losing the series is that they have no crafty veterans to put teams away. Their poor pp proves it and so were the many missed opportunities they had last night. If the can get some free agents they will be a scary team to face again next year.

midd wrote:If the can get some free agents they will be a scary team to face again next year.

i don't think this series will change the fact that no one want to play for this franchise. and they aren't making the playoffs next year - book it. they only made it this year because of philly's anomaly of a season, and if this was an 82 gamer, they would have been sitting in 10th place behind the devils and flyers. meanwhile, their defense is still a total joke and they have no goalie. they made the pens look bad with their forechecking over the last couple weeks, and tavares was terrifying with the puck, but this still isn't any kind of legit hockey team.

midd wrote:I know everyone wants to blame MAF for those soft goals. But the truth of the matter is that our defense was horrendous in their own zone. Letang was downright terrible. Multiple turnovers throughout the series resulted in chances and some goals for the Isles. I give the Isles alot of credit for their forecheck and their pressure on the Pens D.

The speed of the Islanders was def. a factor. I also think a factor in losing the series is that they have no crafty veterans to put teams away. Their poor pp proves it and so were the many missed opportunities they had last night. If the can get some free agents they will be a scary team to face again next year.

true, but fleury needs to steal a few to keep us alive. vokoun did that

DocEmrick wrote:Montreal wasn't a playoff team. In an 82 game season they would've been out

Yeah they not only lost 4 of their top forwards from an offensively challenged team, but doubled-down on that with a goalie who played as badly as Fleury.

Montreal was the 4th highest scoring team in the league...

Edit: actually tied with Washington for 3rd highest behind only Pittsburgh and Chicago.

I subscribe to the belief that big goals are often scored by stars - but that when they are not scored by stars they are made possible by goals already scored or set up by stars. Bobby Nystrom doesn't score his big goals without Trottier and Bossy scoring goals that got him to the possibility.

The Habs offense, despite goal totals, was by committee - and to me that is always going to lead to issues in the playoffs. Find me a recent Cup team that had the kind of individual scoring results they had in the regular season.

It's like that old saying that if you have two quarterbacks you have none. If you rely on scoring from everyone then you have nobody to rely on.